cDNA Cloning of a Human Brain Finger Protein, BFP/ZNF179, a Member of the RING Finger Protein Family

The rat bfp/znfl79 transcript for a member of the RING finger protein family, is expressed in brain and up-regulated in neural differentiation of P19 embryonic carcinoma cells. Here we report the full-length cDNA structure of human BFP/ZNF179 and its expression profile. The cDNA clone consists of 3082 nucleotides and encodes an open reading frame of a 632-amino acid protein that contains a RING finger domain at its N-terminus, and alanine-rich and glycine-rich domains at its C-terminus. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis of various human tissues indicated that BFP/ZNF179 is predominantly expressed in brain. Key words: BFP/ZNF179; RING-finger motif; brain specific; chromosome 17pll.2 The RING finger is a C3HC4-type zinc finger motif, and members of RING finger proteins can be divided into several groups according to their sequence homol-ogy, domain structure and assumed biological functions.1 Members of the RING finger family have been implicated in a variety of functions such as transcriptional regula